-Wing Clipping Styles-

[A-n-M]

Wing Clipping Styles
- Budgies -

Title of Article: Wing Clipping Styles
Date Written: 30th November 2006
Author: Andres T.

What do you think of when you hear of wing clipping a budgie? Most budgie owners are terrified of wing clipping their budgies, after all aren’t they meant to fly. Wing clipping isn’t painful, since the feather doesn’t have a nerve, and you’re not pulling it out, you’re simply just trimming the feather. It’s a lot like cutting your hair or nails. Wing clipping is mostly done for the budgie’s safety, but there are other reasons as well.

Safety: Unclipped budgies are in greater risk of getting hurt. Budgies that are unclipped can panic, fly into windows, glass doors, mirrors, and injure themselves. They can also fly into ceiling fans or hazardous appliances. They can fly into kitchens and land on hot pots, pans, and burners.

Training: Budgies have a greater chance of being tamed and taught different things, than those who are not.

Loss and Prevention: One of the most painful things a budgie owner can ever endure is losing a budgie. Budgies can easily fly out a window or door if left open. The possibility of flying away can arise any given time. One way to reduce this chance is wing clipping.

Dangers of a clipped budgie or improperly clipped budgie:
Your budgie has a lesser chance of getting away from a predator like a cat or dog, he/she can have health issues from no exercise, inability to fly, boredom and not being able to explore its surroundings. They can also get tired quicker than an unclipped budgie. If a budgie is improperly clipped (s)he can injure themselves and also some edges may be sharp which can irritate the side of a budgie.

Good aspects to a clipped budgie:
You are able to control your budgie in case of an emergency; he/she can become more dependant on you for help, which makes bonding more rewarding. There are also many bad aspects on wing clipping your budgie.



Wing structure
http://i141.photobucket.com/albums/r64/AnM678/Other/wingsm.gif

List of wing clipping styles with their pros, and cons:

Standard Clip: In this clip most or all the primary feathers are clipped in half length-wise to the coverts. The amount of the feathers clips depends on the size of the budgie. Most people clip some, test if the budgie can still fly, and clip a little more if needed. This is the most popular and best-known clip in the avian world.
Pros: This type of wing clip can help support new flights. Budgie will be able to glide if clipped properly
Cons: Can sometimes look unattractive, may leave sharp edges, and can cause irritation to the side of the budgies body.

http://i141.photobucket.com/albums/r64/AnM678/Other/Haza.jpg
(Courtesy of Sunneva, Budgie: Haza)

http://i141.photobucket.com/albums/r64/AnM678/Other/Picture642.jpg
(Budgie: Aly)

http://i141.photobucket.com/albums/r64/AnM678/Other/Picture640.jpg
(Budgie: Minu)

This is what a Standard Clip should look like with the budgie’s wings closed, no sharp edges should show.
http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g134/All_4_animals/Sky135.jpg
(Courtesy of Skye, Budgie: Skye)

Show Clip: This clip leaves some or several of the last primary feathers on each wing, but cuts off most of the other primaries. This leaves a more attractive criss-cross pattern on the birds back.
Pros: The wing may look as if unclipped, and looks attractive.
Cons: The wing can end up with broken feathers, or even worse a broken wing.

http://i141.photobucket.com/albums/r64/AnM678/Budgies/DSC01874.jpg
(Budgie: Kacey)

http://i141.photobucket.com/albums/r64/AnM678/Budgies/DSC02868.jpg
(Budgie: Somer)

http://i141.photobucket.com/albums/r64/AnM678/Budgies/DSC06902.jpg
(Budgie: Skye)

One Wing Clip: This clip calls for the clipping of all the primaries off from one wing only and leaving the other wing intact.
Pros: The only pro for this clip is that it prevents flight.
Cons: The budgie can fall out of balance if it tries to attempt to fly, which can cause major injuries to the beak, head, and keel bone.

http://i141.photobucket.com/albums/r64/AnM678/Budgies/DSC02498-1.jpg
(Budgie: Perrywinkle)

http://i141.photobucket.com/albums/r64/AnM678/Budgies/Picture.jpg
(Budgie: Elly)

http://i141.photobucket.com/albums/r64/AnM678/Budgies/DSC02172.jpg
(Budgie: Sidney)

Every Other Feather Clip: This clip is not seen that often or used by budgie owners. For this clip every other feather is clipped on each wing.
Pros: The budgie is still able to fly.
Cons: There are no cons for this clip.

http://i141.photobucket.com/albums/r64/AnM678/Other/Picture643.jpg
(Budgie: Gizmo)

http://i141.photobucket.com/albums/r64/AnM678/Other/Picture644.jpg
(Budgie: Perrywinkle)

Coverts Clip: Is when the primaries are clipped where the coverts end.
Pros: This clip prevents some flight and doesn’t need as much primaries clipped as in the Standard Clip.
Cons: Can leave sharp edges and may look unattractive.

Drawing of a Covert Clip
http://i141.photobucket.com/albums/r64/AnM678/Other/wing-trim-large-1.jpg

http://pic50.picturetrail.com/VOL467/8468343/15752748/246846374.jpg
(Courtesy of Jessika, Budgie: Bpo Bpo)


Quill Clip: One of newest styles of wing clipping, this clip calls for the clipping of primaries directly at the shaft under the feather and near the skin.
Pros: Looks quite attractive, allows the bird to glide, and no sharp edges should be present.
Cons: The only con with this clip is that it may not support new flights.

(Pictures Needed!)

Full Clip: The Full Clip calls for all the primaries and secondaries to be clipped off each wing.
Pros: There are no pros to this clip what so ever.
Cons: Prevents flying completely and can cause major problems to the budgies keels bone, beak, and head. This is one of the most dangerous clips of all.


http://i141.photobucket.com/albums/r64/AnM678/Other/Poloz.jpg
(Courtesy of Pipp, Budgie: Poloz)

This is what a Full Clip is suppose to look like when a budgie has it's wings closed.
http://i141.photobucket.com/albums/r64/AnM678/Other/Poloz1.jpg
(Courtesy of Pipp, Budgie: Poloz)

(FYI: You should not attempt to wing clip your budgie(s) unless you have experience in wing clipping. Ask your local pet store employee or Avian Vet to show you how to properly wing clip your budgie(s). Hopefully this article answers any of your questions about wing clipping and the different styles of wing clipping. Wing clipping should always be done with two people helping, one to hold the budgie and one to clip. I don’t believe in wing clipping any bird other than for taming or training purposes.)

Special Thanks to Sunneva and Skye for providing some pictures.

[Budgiekin]

Wow! Excellent article! Very thorough and balanced perspective! Thank you for taking the time to prepare this for our members! I am sure it will be greatly appreciated by many! :D

[Dave]

Nice article. Thanks for submitting. :D

[A-n-M]

Thanks!:) I just had alot of fun typing it and putting it together.

[Amy]

Good article, thank you!

[redgirl]

That was an excellent article,well writte nand thought of, loved all the pics. You have done a fab job. xxx:) :thumbsup:

[A-n-M]

Thanks, I know it will be greatly appretiated.

[redgirl]

I want to do my Willows, he is tame but once he is out of his cage he has started flying into walls etc and I am getting worried now for his safety, it takes around ten minuits now to get him back in his cage. I had a look at his wings lastnight and I am scared to spead them apart to clip them, incase I hurt him, I would feel confident in clipping them its just that part I would feel uneasy doing xxx

[A-n-M]

I have a couple of birds that I was scared to clip because once I opened their wings they go crazy and start screaming, but I know I have to do for their own well being. You can't be nervous when you are clipping a bird you have to be calm, because if you are nervous you will make the bird nervous. If you do plan on clipping Williow you would need the assistence of another person, whenever I clip my birds wing I just ask my brother to help.

[redgirl]

Yer thats what i was thinking, maybe getting someone to hold him, he doesn't squirm, he actually likes being held as strange as it seems. Thanks for your advice, would give you karma but I have to spread it around before I give you it again xxxx :)

[zarrion101]

Good article. :)

[harpo]

Thanks for this great artical i always wondered how the best way to clip wings was done. Thank you again!

[Jessika]

I love this article.

[Budgie Master]

Just my opinion here...I believe if birds were meant to NOT fly...they wouldn't have been given wings and thier own little limbs to do so.
How would you like it if I rolled up to you and clipped your kneecaps so you could be tamed and not walk around your house any more...it would be safer for you because you wouldn't knock into things or be able to step on things you shouldn't be stepping on... you'd love that, wouldn't you?!

Just some food for thought.....I'll let you do the dishes.

[Cheetah]

I'm sorry, but that's a bit excessive to me. We have FEELING in our kneecaps. Birds do not have feeling in their feathers, so they can be clipped like fingernails. Budgies are also still able to walk, run, climb, and jump when their wings are clipped, as opposed to us without kneecaps. In most instances, it's with the bird's safety in mind. It also can help in the process of taming them.

There is nothing wrong with letting the bird fly, with proper precautions. There is also nothing wrong with clipping a bird's flight feathers. It doesn't hurt them.

[Budgie Master]

Budgies are also still able to walk, run, climb, and jump when their wings are clipped, as opposed to us without kneecaps. In most instances, it's with the bird's safety in mind.



Psssshh....you can still wheel yourself along with no legs, or crawl, or roll around on the floor...

It shouldn't be up to you me or anyone else to decide which priveledges should be taken off which animal. It might be with the budgerigars best intrests at mind, but if you can't handle a budgerigar then you shouldn't be buying a budgerigar. Birds fly...it's what they do it's what thier wings are for....don't be clippin 'em because you can't handle 'em.

[Jessika]

That does seem a bit excessive to me as well. My budgies get clipped for the spring and summer, when the doors are opened frequently, because I believe that if one of them were to get out, they would most likely die, and it probably wouldn't be a short painless death.

So, if given the choice, let's say you had... severe gangrene in your legs and if they didn't amputate you would die. What would you choose?

But in the end, clipping is a personal choice, just choose carefully. I don't know about you, but losing a bird because it wasn't clipped because I thought it was a cruel thing to do, that would just kill me.

EDIT: One of my rescue budgies, ChaCha was given to me because her two companions went unclipped. One of them flew out the window, and the other one was flying around and the dog ate it.

[cute_coco]

Thanks you! My mom clipped skye's feathers :)

[softie]

Comparing kneecaps with flight feathers does seem a little out of hand. Keep in mind that flight feathers grow back.

It is up to the owner to decide whether clipping their budgies is a good idea. Is it for training? Safety? If you live in an environment where the budgie can be in harms way easily, clipping would slim down the chances of getting injured/lost.

If you are new to budgies and having flighted budgies is uncomfortable for you, it will become uncomfortable for the budgie as well.

If you cannot let a flying budgie out of his cage because you are afraid you may not be able to retrieve him back, then wouldn't you rather clip their wings and let them have some time outside of the cage, then keep them flighted and kept in all day?

Also, there is a factor how heavy or light you clip. A light clip does not affect the budgie much. if you clip the tips of their flight feathers, they will most likely still be able to fly. This is actually recommended than a heavy clip. Light clips enables them to keep up in the air, but not too high where as to you can reach the budgie.

This is truly a personal choice. Everyone has their own opinions. Bashing one another to say that you are right and they aren't is not a very healthy way to debate. (Not that anyone has, but keeping up a reminder)

[Jessika]

:) Thank you. I agree 100%.

[Cheetah]

It might be with the budgerigars best intrests at mind, but if you can't handle a budgerigar then you shouldn't be buying a budgerigar. Birds fly...it's what they do it's what thier wings are for....don't be clippin 'em because you can't handle 'em.

I can handle my bird just fine, thank you. >u.u<
Her wings are clipped for her own SAFETY. When she is tame I will think about letting them grow back out, but for now, it IS in her best interests. She is my bird, so yes, it IS up to me to decide.

Didn't I just read a post of your about how your bird was flying around and got outside, and you were lucky enough that it flew back to you? That's extremely dangerous, and one thing I'd like to prevent. You were very lucky.

[Marsheliah]

I believe wing clipping is a personal choice between you, and your budgie. This subject often seems to be very touchy. I have two budgies, and I keep them clipped for a couple reasons. For one, I do not want them getting hurt because I was too stubborn not to clip their wings. I will say this, I had an experience with unclipped wings. Ollie, my first and beautifully tame little guy, had his wings clipped. One time, I let him out and his flight feathers had grown back. He got out of his cage and flew around my room, hitting walls and the ceiling. He then fell and hid. It took a whole HOUR of ripping apart my room to find him. Personally, I do not want a repeat performance. SAFETY is a big thing with bringing home a bird and getting them out of the cage. You see, at floor level and in the budgie area, everything is safe. I keep my budgies clipped for safety and peace of mind. But, it is a personal choice, as I said before.

[Celyste]

I love this article! I'm not big on clipping myself... but I like seeing the comparison between the different styles. I'm impressed that of the last two I bought, Sun has a show clip and Storm a covert clip, and I suspect that if I was to clip them i'd go for the show clip just cause it looks more natural. One of the petstores in town does the insane cut everything clip, and they look so sad to me. A friend bought one there and the poor thing couldn't fly for nearly two months.

In short, clipping is definitely a personal choice, with as many reasons for as against, but it's good to know there are clip options.

[JoeyluvsPhoebe]

:cool: Thanks for the informative and interesting thread, AnM. I never knew there was more than one way to clip a budgie's feathers:o I've always used the standard clip myself :cool: Cristy

[fransheska101]

Im pro-choice when it comes to clipping. its not 100% wrong or 100% right. it depends on the bird and his family and enviorment. I would much rather a budgie have a loving home and be happy with wings clipped. then live in a place where he is allowed to fly around but with people who dont really care for it and for him to get lost or fly away.

its the SAME with dogs about the spay/neuter policy and about leashes. y limit their freedom? why rip out their bodyparts just because you cant make sure ur dog doesnt breed? blablabla

CAts? People who are against keeping indoor cats or letting cats outdoors.

WITH EVERY PET THERE IS AN ISSUE. and the truth of the matter is, IT IS UP TO THE OWNER and no1 else to decide what is best for THEIR PET.
evreyone here is a great owner, you can tell by how much evrey1 loves their birds, and that is why i am PET OWNER PRO-CHOICE on alot of issues


I loved this article :) its helpful and was a great read

[BusyMama]

I'm surprised nobody has yet mentioned to watch out for blood feathers... Please, someone correct me if I am wrong here... As old feathers are lost and new ones replace them, they are filled in the shaft with blood. After they are finished growing in, the blood does not remain in the shaft any longer; this is when it is safe to clip the feather. If the feather is clipped while there is still blood in it the bird could bleed out, and even a small amount of blood lost could kill a bird as small as a budgie. (this has never happened when I've clipped, but I was told the only way to stop the bleeding is to pull the feather, owie! :( I hope that is not true; anyone?) I don't have any pictures to show the difference, but maybe someone else does?

I do clip my budgies' wings for safety reasons. With two adults and five children in the house, a door is always opening somewhere. I'd die if one of my budgies flew out the window or door only to be snapped up by a hawk or owl (we have quite a few out here in the woods). We also keep ceiling fans going much of the year. In the winter, the coal stove runs in the living room. I strongly believe that any pet should be trained for their own safety as well as the safety of those around them, but some preventative measures taken may be wise too. As previous posters have said, it is the owners choice and we must all follow our own consciences and do what we feel is best for us and our budgies. Being well informed to both views helps us to make good decisions; being mean spirited does not help promote your side of the issue.

Great post, very informative... thanks!

Carol

[MnA]

I'm surprised nobody has yet mentioned to watch out for blood feathers... Please, someone correct me if I am wrong here... As old feathers are lost and new ones replace them, they are filled in the shaft with blood. After they are finished growing in, the blood does not remain in the shaft any longer; this is when it is safe to clip the feather. If the feather is clipped while there is still blood in it the bird could bleed out, and even a small amount of blood lost could kill a bird as small as a budgie. (this has never happened when I've clipped, but I was told the only way to stop the bleeding is to pull the feather, owie! :( I hope that is not true; anyone?) I don't have any pictures to show the difference, but maybe someone else does?

Carol

If the person is clipping their budgie in the correct places them they shouldn't have any problems clipping blood feathers, the only way your budgie will bleed if you clip a blood feathers is if the person clips to high up, thats when you run in the shaft filled with blood. Someone should never be clipping the converts (the small feathers above the first and secondary flights, these protect those featehrs from breaking when they are in flight.)

[BusyMama]

Oh, that's good to know... maybe I won't sweat so many bullets when it's clipping time now! (of course I'll still be careful; I just won't feel like one wrong move and my budgie will never speak to me again!:o ) Thanks for the good info!

[Hillybean]

Wow,
I this is really neat. I already knew many of the clips, but not all.
I also liked how the pros/cons of each clip was listed, and the pictures as examples.

-Hilly

[Squeak_Crumble]

How can you NOT clip your budgies wings???
I had a cage that bars were big enough for them to get through and all the time it was my brothers bird that got out but luckily the cage was inside.My brothers had a permanantly damaged wing but we clipped it anyway and mine we were going to do after breakfast the next day because we only got it a couple days ago.The next day before breakfast my dad thought "Its a beautiful morning the birds should go outside".I woke up and went to say hello and do their feed and water and mine wasant there.It was always my brothers that got out but it happend just as they were outside MINE thought "well that other silly bird always gets out so so will I,I'll show him".This is a true story and if my bird did have her wings clipped we might of found her in the backyard or in a tree out the front or something.We never did find her:(

I think Budgie Master you have some thinking to do as this happend to my friends budgie also

IT IS FOR THERE OWN SAFTEY!!!!!

Sophie Squeak:budge:Crumble:budgie:

[Tacey]

How can you NOT clip your budgies wings???
I had a cage that bars were big enough for them to get through and all the time it was my brothers bird that got out but luckily the cage was inside.My brothers had a permanantly damaged wing but we clipped it anyway and mine we were going to do after breakfast the next day because we only got it a couple days ago.The next day before breakfast my dad thought "Its a beautiful morning the birds should go outside".I woke up and went to say hello and do their feed and water and mine wasant there.It was always my brothers that got out but it happend just as they were outside MINE thought "well that other silly bird always gets out so so will I,I'll show him".This is a true story and if my bird did have her wings clipped we might of found her in the backyard or in a tree out the front or something.We never did find her:(

I think Budgie Master you have some thinking to do as this happend to my friends budgie also

IT IS FOR THERE OWN SAFTEY!!!!!

Sophie Squeak:budge:Crumble:budgie:

Sorry, but the problem was obviously the cage. Not the wings. How can you blame a BIRD for having wings when you are putting it in a completely unsuitable cage? It is beyond me.

I know the difference of opinions on wingclipping between the U.S and the U.K is huge, but I personally am against clipping; my birds are fully flighted, always have been, and are completely safe. Since I am on a mainly American forum I am not going to force my views on anyone or argue the point of wing clipping, but evidently you should not have your budgies in a cage it can easily escape from and put them outside.

[hozie07]

That does seem a bit excessive to me as well. My budgies get clipped for the spring and summer, when the doors are opened frequently, because I believe that if one of them were to get out, they would most likely die, and it probably wouldn't be a short painless death.

So, if given the choice, let's say you had... severe gangrene in your legs and if they didn't amputate you would die. What would you choose?

But in the end, clipping is a personal choice, just choose carefully. I don't know about you, but losing a bird because it wasn't clipped because I thought it was a cruel thing to do, that would just kill me.

EDIT: One of my rescue budgies, ChaCha was given to me because her two companions went unclipped. One of them flew out the window, and the other one was flying around and the dog ate it.

So if the bird had his wings clipped the dog wouldn't have eaten it? That's great to know so as long as I clip their wings I can let them in the same room with dogs ...weird I never would have thought that...I believe the bird had a better chance to get away with his wings not clipped than he would have had on the floor not being able to get fly and get away. So in fact it is the owners fault not the budgies. And if you have fully flighted birds you should make sure the windows and doors are closed at all times even if they are "tame". As you can see I am against wing clipping, I know lots of people that have tamed fully flighted birds so if they can do it why can't everyone else.

[A-n-M]

As you can see I am against wing clipping I know lots of people that have tamed fully flighted birds so if they can do it why can't everyone else.

I agree with what you said and I feel everyone who owns a Budgie should try the best they can to tame their Budgies well enough so they can have their flights back. All of the 21 Budgies in my household haved been tamed and now are at the point where wing clippping isn't allowed. I feel that a Budgie shouldn't live their entire their life clipped, the owner should try their best to tame them and be super careful with windows and doors. A Budgie should be able to feel free even if they are in a household.

[lelex]

Hi!


I'm am honestly shocked and sad to see that so little people oppose wing clipping in this forum :(

Birds have wings so that they can use them, they are meant to fly! And what is this thing about the budgie having to be totally tame in order to let him fly around the house? I have 2 budgies myself, the male is totally tame but the female isn't. Some budgies get super tame, some never will. If they are tame, great. But I see it as an additional bonus rather than a requirement. Also, budgies arent animals that you can cuddle or pet all the time, if you want that, get a dog ;) The most important thing for them is a budgie friend and regular exercise outside the cage (and for this they need their full wings!). It is therefore important to make sure that the room is safe for the birds, i.e close windows and doors, make sure they cant fall behind shelves, or into vases, etc.. Also make sure to cover the windows with curtains or blinds at the start. Sooner or later the budgie will go back into the cage by itself when its hungry, I never had any problems with that!

There is no problem letting budgies fly around the house with unclipped wings, amputating a bird's wings is just selfish!

[tstmard]

I personally am looking for what would be best for my birds. I have 2 large windows that do not have blinds and Chirp like to go flying into the one window when ever I have her out. So what would be best to keep letting her fly or to clip her wings? I am still in the taming process with her, so should I maybe just clip until she's tame and she doesn't panic and fly away not paying attention to where's she's going really or let her keep her feathers and get smart about the window? And if I do clip which techniqe is the easiest? My husband has clipped wings before but it's been a long time since he's done it.

[Budgiekin]

I'm am honestly shocked and sad to see that so little people oppose wing clipping in this forum :(

Birds have wings so that they can use them, they are meant to fly! And what is this thing about the budgie having to be totally tame in order to let him fly around the house? I have 2 budgies myself, the male is totally tame but the female isn't. Some budgies get super tame, some never will. If they are tame, great. But I see it as an additional bonus rather than a requirement. Also, budgies arent animals that you can cuddle or pet all the time, if you want that, get a dog ;) The most important thing for them is a budgie friend and regular exercise outside the cage (and for this they need their full wings!). It is therefore important to make sure that the room is safe for the birds, i.e close windows and doors, make sure they cant fall behind shelves, or into vases, etc.. Also make sure to cover the windows with curtains or blinds at the start. Sooner or later the budgie will go back into the cage by itself when its hungry, I never had any problems with that!

There is no problem letting budgies fly around the house with unclipped wings, amputating a bird's wings is just selfish!

I respect your point of view about wing clipping and I know it is always an ongoing debate about whether it is right or wrong. I view it very much as a personal choice.

The idea with wing clipping is not to completely inhibit a budgie's flying so that they are unable to fly at all. The intent is to limit the height and duration of flight. They should still be able to land comfortably if they were to end up finding themselves "falling" from a curtain rod or ceiling fixture for example.

Also, please keep in mind that amputating a budgie's wing and clipping wings (i.e. flight feathers) are two completely different things. In fact, I had a budgie (Skyla, pictured in my signature with only one wing) who had her wing amputated due to a tumour... With amputation, the actual humerus bone and surrounding tissue are removed. Wing clipping is far from that..... it is simply trimming flight feathers.

(I just wanted to make that clarification). ;)

[Budgiekin]

I personally am looking for what would be best for my birds. I have 2 large windows that do not have blinds and Chirp like to go flying into the one window when ever I have her out. So what would be best to keep letting her fly or to clip her wings? I am still in the taming process with her, so should I maybe just clip until she's tame and she doesn't panic and fly away not paying attention to where's she's going really or let her keep her feathers and get smart about the window? And if I do clip which techniqe is the easiest? My husband has clipped wings before but it's been a long time since he's done it.

Deciding to clip wings definitely involves weighing the potential risks and benefits. It sounds as if clipping them in your case may be the best option, given the risks of your budgie flying into the window. Alternatively, you could try finding some way of covering the window and not clip.... You could drape some material over an expandable curtain rod that can be removed when your budgie is back in her cage.

If you do decide to go with wing clipping, there are many techniques to choose from as you know. I like to use the method that involves clipping the first (outside) 5-6 primary flight feathers (on both wings!). If they can't fly very well after that many flight feathers are clipped, I make note of that for next time and try clipping one flight feather fewer one each side. ;)

[Pippin's mom]

Great thread! Thank you for putting this information together and sharing it with us.:) It was interesting reading about the various clips and it is great having pictures. I'm with Budgiekin I prefer the clip where you clip the last 6 primaries.

I have been giving the topic of to clip or not to clip a lot of thought lately and I'm still not sure which way I want to go. Pippin can't fly well at the moment and I'm not liking that. I will let her flights grow out some and see how she does before making a final decision. Kalea flies very well even with clipped wings and she is quite a good navigator.:) I love watching her fly!

A big part of me really wants to allow them to be fully flighted, but a part of me also feels that Kalea already flies pretty high and fast even with being clipped just 3 days ago. So I'm going to see how it goes when their flights grow more and decide from there.

They are both doing quite well with training and bonding. We do have a very open floor plan so they have plenty of open space.

[sophiay]

I'm am honestly shocked and sad to see that so little people oppose wing clipping in this forum :(

Birds have wings so that they can use them, they are meant to fly!

I agree, I can't believe that someone thought of cutting a birds feathers in the first place, to stop them doing their natural thing, of flying!:mad:
I would never cut Earl or Little Bill's wings because I think it is mean.

No affence to anyone, it is just my opinion and I respect your views :D

[Budgietom]

The stupid pet store guy cut all of Snowpea flight feathers. I have had him for months and he still can't fly at all.

[Squeak_Crumble]

Would a full Clip be best for a new young budgie your trieng to tame??

[Budgiekin]

Remember that a wing clip, if done properly, is not intended to stop a budgie from flying completely. As I have said before, it is to limit their height and duration of flight, and is usually done for safety reasons. Budgies still need to be able to fly well enough to land safely in the event, for example, they find themselves at the top of a staircase and attempt a flight to get to the first floor.

The actual clipping of feathers does not hurt a budgie either. ;)

I think most people would agree that leaving a budgie's flight feathers unclipped would be the ideal scenario, but this just isn't always feasible for all budgie owners. I would hope the conclusion wouldn't be made that wing clippers shouldn't have budgies! :eek:

[Budgiekin]

Would a full Clip be best for a new young budgie your trieng to tame??

Not necessarily....and it depends on how you define a FULL wing clip.

Some budgies can be trained quite well even with all of their flight feathers. Something that may help with taming a fully flighted budgie is to train them in a smaller room. This would limit how far they could fly away during their training which could make things a bit easier.

If you find that this doesn't work, you could try a wing clip of the first 5-6 primary flight feathers to see if that makes it any easier. If you don't notice any difference between clipping and not, then you might as well not. (However, it is also important to consider the risks and benefits in terms of safety in determining whether or not you clip, not just considering the training benefits).

[Squeak_Crumble]

hmmmm well all my other birds i have had were tamed inside with cliiped wings.the only 2 that wernt clipped were outside in the aviary and they still dont go nere me much but from time to time hop half a sec on my finger.I brought Ozzie as a unknown age with a fully blue cere alredady and he is untamable.
I think i will clip my birds wings. once crumble( when she was unclipped inside) got out of my hand as i was clipping her and crashed into the TV and landed on the gorund then took of again and flew ontop of the curtain rod.It took hours to get her down

[Theme34xcp]

Well, Today I just clipped 2 of my birds wings. Amber (newest parakeet) is already clipped by the new PetCo store. I got her a week or 2 ago. Anyways, I just clipped my two others wings (Skyla and Tino). I had them for 1 year. It took awhile but i had to wrap them in a towel to prevent getting bitten and losing trust, since Skyla and i am progressing well.

As for the clipping and non-clipping debate, I would like to voice my opinion as well. A few weeks ago (before I bought Amber), Tino got loose when I was cleaning their cages. Tino flew onto my curtain rod. It took me around 2 hours to get my baby back into his cage. I could tell after all the chasing and trying to get him back in took a lot out of him and it scared him terribly.

I wonder what would have happened if I had clipped their wings earlier? Might turn out much different, I suppose. Like I said, just voicing my opinion:

Wing Clipping is a technique where a bird owner cuts the feathers (No intention of hurting or preventing flight) for the bird's own safety reasons. I for one, have many windows in my room. Also, I have a large mirror which I couldn't cover fully. Does that mean I shouldn't have budgies because of these small reasons? I don't have any other pets in the house. So I clipped their wings. The training is also going greatly for me. :)

[sydney]

great article and is in good detail. the last picture is what 1 of my budgies wings are like. makes him look awful but he's still healthy yet very clumsy considering he aint really tame but this isnt due to me clipping his wings it just happened one day

[DeBree420]

well i think this article was a great start to an unanswerable debate..lol

my experience with clipping is this...
clipping a birds wings should or should not be done, depending on the individual bird, and its surroundings
i agree with clipping to train, as much time is wasted retrieving the bird when it has been clipped let alone with full flights...
training any animal (including human children) works best as lots of small training sessions with lots of slightly larger rest breaks in between... this is ruined by spending most of the training time, chasing a flighted bird around... it gets scared, forgets about what they just learned. i have found the key to training is to have a break whenever the animal looks bored or fidgety, and as soon as s/he is relaxed again to have another short session, for this to work you need to be able to get to the animal quickly

i dont believe a bird should be clipped until it has learned to fly well!, the flight muscles need to develop ;)
and a one sided clip can be dangerous to the heart at this stage!

i have a bird room with 19 budgies, 8 tiels and a green cheek conure....
the tiels are all clipped in various ways, depending on their situation...
the budgies are fully flighted, even though they are not completely tame, i can still catch them in a short amount of time if needed, their room has a good window screen, and also the door leads into the hallway, so if one got out, i can still catch it before getting to anywhere where a door leads out into the open...
most of these budgies were rescues and or aviary birds, so are not too interested in human company....

i prefer the 'show clip' crossed with the regular clip... i usually leave the last 2 flights, as i have found that my birds seem to be more comfortable having these feathers to preen...
although sometimes, a show clip cant stop a high flyer... this is when i revert to the original style clip, OR as a last resort the full clip, i understand why you did not list any pro's for this clip as it really is a last resort, but for super flyers, like my GCC it is required... Scoundrel has a full clip, and s/he can still fly around!
now this was a last resort....
i always do a show clip, then test the flying ability...
still too good a flyer?... take another flight out... and so on and so on until you have the normal clip.... now in the extreme case that the bird can still fly too well... this (in my opinion) is the only time you should even consider a full clip, and like going from the show, to the normal, take it one feather at a time, with test flights in between....

i have a tiel named Cinnamaroll... she is my hand raised baby, and would never wish to escape,i have had her fully flighted on my shoulder out in my yard a few times before, and she has a harness for going into town and to the park...
BUT just recently, when i was not home, she got spooked just as my flatmate opened the door... and FLEW OUT!!! she did a few laps high above a gum tree, squarking happily... hey you guys, this isnt that bad... easy 40metres up, with a show clip that had half grown out!... then 3 magpies came swooping towards her.. she realised that was why she wasnt allowed out by herself and bailed off to try and get to safety...
luckily i came racing home, and found her in a tree she had sought refuge in...
suffice to say she is now show clipped again, (but ducks now when she sees maggies, and has shown anti-interest in the outside world...)

i prefer not to clip where ever possible, but sometimes it is needed, especially for birds that are prone to get spooked by things like cockatiels

you should never clip a bird so it cannot fly at all, the aim is to reduce its speed and hight... and in my opinion a one sided clip is dangerous and should not be attempted, but as long as you clip below the coverts, so as not to hit a blood feather, clipping should be painless...

a bleeding blood feather should be pulled, with tweasers and a disinfectant powder or corn flour should be applied to help the blood clot, and therefore prevent the loss of too much blood...
if you wait till the bird is old enough to have learnt to fly, and stay below the coverts, you should not have to encounter this problem when clipping

[Budgietom]

Great article. I just saw it now. Very good info. It should be made into a sticky...

[stacey101]

Im never clipping my birds wings, but i must say i like those wing clipping designs

[ground_stompers]

Yea when I went to the pet store the lady there was really fluente with the birds and showed us how to do the full clip. but I didn't know the risks. what do you prefer the best way to clip them cause its time for Jack and jen to get theirs doen again, they fly and I am afraid they will get hurt. thanks!!

[Budgiekin]

My preference for wing clipping is the first 4-6 primary (outer) flight feathers. For strong fliers, I like to clip 6, but for those who have more trouble, then I like to clip 4. The idea is not to ground them completely, but to limit their flight time, length and height. Sometimes it takes a couple of tries to find the number of clipped feathers that works best for your particular budgie.

[ground_stompers]

oo ok I understand thanks!!:)

[Dani_x]

I Clipped My Budgies Wings Just From Following A Video On You Tube. I Had My Sisters Help And It Was Really Easy To Do. Great Post BTW :D
I Would Definetly Recommend It x

[Xealot]

I can't help but laugh at people who say you shouldn't clip wings because it's "unnatural". Ummm incase you haven't noticed you have nomadic birds from the Australian outback living in your house in America/UK/Canada/where ever - if you are so concerned with them living naturally then you should be completely opposed to them being pets in the first place. Just my 2 cents.

Great post OP!!

[Pippin's mom]

Well said Georgie!:D I never understand that logic either.

[SpickyDavies]

I can't help but laugh at people who say you shouldn't clip wings because it's "unnatural". Ummm incase you haven't noticed you have nomadic birds from the Australian outback living in your house in America/UK/Canada/where ever - if you are so concerned with them living naturally then you should be completely opposed to them being pets in the first place. Just my 2 cents.

Great post OP!!


Still the bird is in your hand and you should try to create a environment that is stimulates the natural instamatics in a bird (such as foraging) although it can not compare to being wild, it’s just a little something
The attitude of “oh well its hardly natural keeping a bird in you home anyway so you might as well clip it wings” is a poor way of seeing it
Keeping the birds wings unclipped, is another step on the ladder on creating a environment

[helloyo53]

I can't help but laugh at people who say you shouldn't clip wings because it's "unnatural". Ummm incase you haven't noticed you have nomadic birds from the Australian outback living in your house in America/UK/Canada/where ever - if you are so concerned with them living naturally then you should be completely opposed to them being pets in the first place. Just my 2 cents.

wow well said!!!!!!!:)

[softie]

The attitude of “oh well its hardly natural keeping a bird in you home anyway so you might as well clip it wings” is a poor way of seeing it


I highly doubt that's why people clip their budgie's wings.